My dream/goal is to attend a University and earn my degree in nursing, so that I can then get a job which would allow me to help others. I am a graduating high school senior, and I am committed to Gonzaga University next Fall to major in nursing. I am thankful to have been given the opportunity to attend this prestigious school and cannot wait to begin taking the next steps towards my final educational goal. I have known for years that after high school, I want to attend college to further my education. Additionally, I have also always felt that it is my calling to pursue a degree in the medical field. I aspire to help others and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those living in my community. Becoming a nurse would not only allow me to do so, but would also allow me to provide for myself and my future family. You can learn so much by working in the medical field, as you are constantly meeting new people and accomplishing new tasks. I want to work in a vocation that is challenging and allows me to grow in not only my knowledge, but as a person. I believe that nursing fulfills all of these desires, which plays a large role in solidifying this as a large goal for my life. As mentioned, the main reason that becoming a nurse is such an important goal of mine is because I want to work in a field that would allow me to positively impact others lives. I am the oldest of three in my family, which has taught me the importance of caring for others. Additionally, I have participated in sports all throughout my high school career, which has landed me in the doctors office plenty of times with serious injuries. I have always been blessed with wonderful medical providers, which has proved a great example for how I intend to treat my future patients. It has also shown me the important role that nurses play in our community, and the need for caring health care providers in our rapidly growing community. Throughout high school, I have made it my goal to obtain the best grades that I can while taking college courses that challenge me. This has proven successful, as I am about to move on to the next chapter of life by attending a prestigious college that will allow me to pursue my educational career. Now that I have accomplished this goal, I have my sights set on a new target, which is becoming a nurse. I am excited to embark on the next steps towards my goal, and I hope that when I look back in a few years, I will be on my way to accomplish a new goal.

I have been asked many times why I have chosen to study nursing, and each time I have searched for an answer to justify my decision for choosing to enter this difficult field. However, the truth is that I feel as if it is my calling to work in the medical field, and I know that nursing is the best way that I can use my strengths and interests to help others. Ever since I was young, I knew that it was my destiny to make meaningful differences in others lives. By entering into this prestigious field, I know that I will have the opportunity to fulfill this calling. I am graduating this year from Lakeland High School and I have committed to Gonzaga University to major in nursing next Fall. I have always been interested in the medical field, and I feel very passionately that the career I chose to pursue must allow me to help others and make a difference in their lives. Many life experiences have led me to set this goal for myself. I am the oldest child in my family, which has taught me how to be responsible and care for others. As an athlete, I have seen the importance of having kind and knowledgeable healthcare professionals. This experience has also shown me the dire need for quality nurses and doctors in the community. Additionally, I have many family members who work in the medical field, all of which have inspired me to follow in their footsteps. While pursuing this field of work, I want to make a difference in our community by helping others. I also want to create lasting relationships with both the people in the community and the people that I work with. In addition to earning my bachelors degree, I would also like to go on to receive my masters in nursing in order to gain a better understanding of this field. Through this, I would be able to specialize in certain areas which would ultimately allow me to better assist those in need. A specific area of nursing that I have always been interested in pursuing is pediatrics. I love working with children, and have found that my life experiences have allowed me to work best with the younger population. Being able to help kids and make a difference in their lives is something that I aspire to do. I would also like to make the hospital a safe environment for children and prevent them from feeling uncomfortable or scared when they visit the doctor. I have been lucky enough to have had great healthcare professionals all throughout my childhood, and I hope that I can be a role model for my future patients.

I am a graduating high school student, and I have committed to Gonzaga University to major in nursing. I have always been interested in the medical field, and I also feel very passionately that the career I chose to pursue must allow me to help others and make a difference in their lives. Many life experiences have led me to set this goal for myself. I am the oldest child in my family, which has taught me how to be responsible and care for others. As an athlete, I have seen the importance of having kind and knowledgeable healthcare professionals. This experience has also shown me the dire need for quality nurses and doctors in the community. Additionally, I have many family members who work in the medical field, all of which have inspired me to follow in their footsteps. While pursuing this field of work, I want to make a difference in our community by helping others. I also want to create lasting relationships with both the people in the community and the people that I work with. If possible, I would eventually like to go on to receive my masters degree in nursing in order to gain a better understanding of this field. Through this, I would be able to specialize in certain areas which would ultimately allow me to better assist those in need. A specific area of nursing that I have always been interested in pursuing is pediatrics. I love working with children, and have found that my life experiences have allowed me to work best with the younger population. Being able to help kids and make a difference in their lives is something that I aspire to do. I would also like to make the hospital a safe environment for children and prevent them from feeling uncomfortable or scared when they visit the hospital. I have been lucky enough to have had great healthcare professionals all throughout my childhood, and I hope that I can be a role model for my future patients. Another area of nursing that I am interested in is emergency medicine. Working in an ER would allow me to help a variety of people all while having the opportunity to learn new things each day. I know that emergency medicine is a high stress job, but being able to make a meaningful difference for others when they are in their greatest time of need would make it all worth it.

If I could have everyone in the world read just one book, I would have them read "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee. I first read this book in my sophomore English class, and was greatly impacted by this story. This book follows the life of Atticus Finch and his two children, Scout and Jem Finch, in their small town of Alabama in the early 1900's. During this time period, segregation was widespread and heavily enforced. In the novel, Atticus Finch is defending a Black man who has been falsely accused of rape. This book focuses on the importance of courage and provides a great example of standing up for those who are not able to advocate for themselves. Mr. Finch also models what it takes to be a great parent, as he teaches his children to not judge a book by its cover and that actions speak louder than words. This book has had a great influence on the way that I view others and the way that I choose to approach struggles and challenges in my life. After reading it for the first time, I found myself researching other novels that discuss similar topics, as I found the subject of past inequality and segregation quite intriguing. I enjoyed this novel and I believe that the world would be improved if everyone was able to read it. There are many lessons that can be taught through this book, but it is also a great read that is widely known and enjoyed by many.

Basketball has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I played on a team for the first time when I was in second grade, and I recently finished my senior year playing on the varsity basketball team for my high school. Basketball has not opened up so many different opportunities that I would not have received otherwise, but has also taught me many valuable skills that I can use in the future. Additionally, some of my greatest friendships have derived from basketball, and I will be forever grateful for this sport. One of my greatest accomplishments that I have received while playing basketball took place this year, as my high school team was able to beat our rival school in the district championship. This allowed us to travel to the state tournament in Boise, Idaho and was a wonderful experience. It proved to be a testament to how hard my team and I had worked this season in order to make it to the state championship. We ended up placing 4th for the 4A division, something that our school had not been able to accomplish in many years. In addition to this, a personal accomplishment that I received my junior year was being awarded "Most Improved" by my coaches and teammates. At the beginning of the season, I had been timid and unsure of what my position on the team was. However, by the end of the year, I felt confident in myself and my abilities, which was a huge accomplishment that I had been working towards all season. One of the hardest obstacles that I had to overcome during my freshman and sophomore season was the restrictions brought about by COVID. My team was restricted on practice times, opponents, and we had to wear masks when close to each other. However, my team was able to overcome all of this and went on to have amazing seasons. Another major obstacle that I was faced with this year was breaking my hand during the season. I fractured my left hand early on in the season during practice, and was forced to sit on the side lines during the first games of my senior year. Thankfully, I was later able to have a cast made that allowed me to play. However, my left hand was completely covered with this cast, and I had to relearn how to dribble and shoot with this new restrictive device. Even though this proved to be quite difficult and took a lot of extra dedication and time, I am grateful that I was able to play most of my senior year. Basketball has taught me many skills that I can use to help achieve my goals in the future, as I plan to continue on to college to receive my degree in nursing. Being a part of athletics has taught me responsibility, time management, resiliency, and many other valuable life skills. However, I believe that the most valuable skill that I have learned from basketball that will help me achieve my future goals is the ability to work as a team. Teamwork is an important quality that many people look for in the work force. This skill will allow me to work collectively with others in my future, not only in the work place, but in relationships, as I plan to have a family one day. I am grateful for all of the skills and memories that I have received from basketball, and hope to continue playing this wonderful sport all throughout my life.